


A Sense of Poise and Rationality

by AKnightOfWren



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben has his fathers heart, British Military, British Royal AU, Fluff, Gen, Military, Royal Wedding, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, bb8 is a corgi, royal au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-05-18 17:52:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14857415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfWren/pseuds/AKnightOfWren
Summary: When Prince Benjamin of Alderaan joined the army at the age of eighteen he was only aiming to follow in the footsteps of his parents and grandparents. He had no idea it would change his life so drastically. Enter Rey Niima, an outspoken and strong willed scavenger from the streets. Follow them as their lives begin to entwine and converge. Can they survive life in the public eye?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this for the last few weeks since the British Royal Wedding after not being able to get it out of my head how well it could work. 
> 
> Thanks to the lovely [Dryless ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dryless), [LoveOfEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveOfEscapism) and[AlbaStarGazer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlbaStarGazer%E2%80%9D%20rel=) for all of their help and generally for listening to me talk at them and taking a look through this for me in their spare time. They utterly rock and if you haven't already, you haven't lived until you've read their fics. 
> 
> And to the AMAZING [MumblesMusings](http://mumblesmusings.tumblr.com%0A%E2%80%9D%20rel=) for throwing out this wonderful engagement letter styled on the Royal Families ones in the past despite working on your own at the same time, I can't thank you enough. If you haven't already, go and take a look at her Tumblr for her own works too! 
> 
>  
> 
> *Trigger note: Just a heads up though while its 99% fluff it does get a bit dark 3/4 of the way down. There is very brief mentions of a terror related accident so if its not your cup of tea (believe me, I completely understand, it wouldn't normally be mine either), please avoid it. I've hit graphic violence just in case*

 

 

**November 2017**

The date is set.

The church was booked and the news was announced to the public a day prior by Ben's mother, the Princess of Alderaan. As the families await the world's reaction, the meeting room they all currently sit in is so quiet you could hear a pin drop; tensions are high. The wedding of the only child of Princess Leia of Alderaan is to be the biggest affair in modern history. Not only is Prince Benjamin getting married, he’s marrying a commoner.

The couple are preparing to attend their first public interview since the announcement of their engagement. Rey’s hands shake as she briefly straightened and smoothed down Ben’s tie and takes in his appearance. His short, inky hair is appropriately brushed and parted, and his usual casual shirt replaced with a black dress shirt, a black jacket and pants. Rey herself is dressed in a black, wool Hobbs coat and suede heels and underneath she wears a sheer, black, lace dress, complimenting her husband to be’s appearance.

“Relax, Rey,” he says quietly as he takes her hands in his and runs his thumbs over her knuckles. “It will be fine. They’ll love you, as I do. As we all do,” he whispers softly as he looks up at his family, watching as they pour over the different social media channels.

“Easier said than done,” Rey replies as she looks down at her feet. “You’ve had to deal with this all of your life. I’ve never experienced something quite like this, even when we were just in a simple relationship. I am not used to being the centre of attention. Especially with the backlash we’ve both received since becoming engaged.”

He uses his hand to tilt her face up towards him as he places a chaste kiss on her lips. “You will be perfect, you do not need to impress anyone. We always knew there would be some negative reactions, but you can’t please everyone,” he reasons, trying to make her understand just how special she really is.

Rey bites her lip as she ponders Ben’s words. “True, I mean your parent’s survived it. So can we, right?” Rey thinks back to the headlines she read while researching the Princess of Alderaan's engagement to Han Solo.

Ben is following in the footsteps of his mother by marrying someone seen as a ‘commoner’. His father was as much of a commoner as Rey, maybe even more so. His mother and father, like Ben and Rey, met while serving together in the military. He was her commanding officer and twelve years her senior. Life was not easy for them. They didn’t always get on, but they overcame their problems together, away from the public eye. Sadly, Ben lost his father in car crash at the age of eleven. He and his mother were devastated, a loss that was felt and resonated all around the country.

Ben had promptly joined the army at the age of eighteen in two thousand and four , hoping to follow in the footsteps of his parents and grandparents before him. He wanted to contribute some good in the world instead of falling into the part of the stereotypical prince that held a backseat role in society. In two thousand and five, under the name Kylo Ren (due to the possibility of being made a target if anyone knew who he really was), he was officially commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Blues and Royals, a regiment of the Household Cavalry. After two years of service, in two thousand and seven, he was promoted to Lieutenant. Shortly afterwards, Ben decided to join the Army Air Corps and learn to fly military (Apache) helicopters like his father. It was here he met Rey and their beautiful fairytale soon began.

Rey joined the Army Air Corps shortly before Ben had as a mechanical engineer. Rey had a lot of experience in scavenging and salvaging otherwise unusable junk and making them usable again, earning her the nickname, ‘Scavenger’ by her close friends. She used them to fix and upgrade the vehicles and helicopters she worked on. On her first day as an official mechanic on base, she came face to face with the prince himself.

Ben was instantly captivated by her. Never before had he met someone that put him so effortlessly in his place, his status as a Prince always placating people. Not only was she gorgeous, she was strong willed and resilient, that was clear from the beginning; she didn’t let him get away with things lightly. To the world he was the Prince of Alderaan. To her, he was just Ben… and that meant more to him than she knew.

 

**April 2007**

“Excuse me?” Rey asks, appalled. “Who do you think you are, calling me a scavenger?” Her hazel eyes meet his warm, brown ones, finding a softness she didn’t expect looking back at her.

She feels she recognised him from somewhere but she’s having the hardest time placing him. He isn’t handsome by normal standards, but he is certainly attractive. His distinctively angled nose and speckling of moles around his face are something she will not forget in a hurry.

Ben furrows his brow. “I’m sorry,” he replies, “I just heard someone calling you that and assumed it was a nickname.” He runs his hand through his neat, short hair; an obvious anxious trait.

“Well, it’s not,” Rey grumbles, “Finn gets away with it because he’s a lovable ass. Are you an ass?”

“I can be,” he replies seriously, maintaining eye contact as he smirks at her.

Rey feels the side of her lip curling upwards into a smile. She forces them back into a tight line and puts her hands on her hips trying to look unimpressed, but failing miserably.

“Don’t you have work to do?” she scowls.

“Probably.” He shrugs. “I’m on a break and thought I could help out around here.”

“More like get in the way,” Rey snarks back as she picks up her wrench and continues trying to unfasten the lug nut on the tire she’d been working on unsuccessfully.

Noticing the problem Rey was having with the nut, Ben takes his jacket off. “Here, give me that,” he says quickly and holds his hand out for the wrench.

She reluctantly hands it over, admitting defeat and rolls her eyes. “Fine. I’ll bet you-” her eyes widen as Ben unfastens the lug nut with ease within a few seconds. He turns and grins at her. Rey opens and closes her mouth a few times before shaking her head and grinning back. “Just so you know, I loosened it up for you,” she grumbles sideways at him, her face hot and flushed.

“I’m sure you did,” he replies, winking as he hands over the wrench and the now free lugnut. He grabs his jacket and begins to walk away, leaving Rey staring after him in awe.

“Unbelievable,” she mutters as she tries to ignore the warm feeling in her stomach, when suddenly it hits her.

“Wait!” She cries after him. He stops briefly and turns his head a fraction to face her.

“Yeah?” he responded curiously.

“Are you who I think you are?” she blurts out, unable to control herself.

He lets out a deep chuckle and shakes his head slightly, looking back to her. He grins, his eyes full of amusement. “Yes, I think I am,” he responds as he walks away.

“Well, shit,” Rey mumbles as her eyes follow his retreating back. She shakes her head and turns back to her activity, trying to rid her head of the soulful, brown eyes of the Prince of Alderaan and how they make her feel.

 

* * *

  

Thinking back, Rey realises there was something between them even during that initial conversation. The more she observed Ben, the more she realised he didn’t act the same way he did with her with anyone else. While he was kind and humorous with the others about the base, he was increasingly lighthearted and unguarded with her. In response to this, within the first few months of her being with the regiment, she and Ben fell into an easy friendship. If he had a break before she was due hers, he would visit her in the barracks or the garages. If she had hers first, she would head over to where he was stationed for the day and she would watch him carry out his duties (usually performing helicopter checks or working with those at a lower rank). Unless Ben was away on a training exercise or on leave, they spent every lunchtime together and they would usually meet for dinner with their close friends, Poe and Finn, before going back to work on their respective projects. It was unusual for their colleagues to see one without the other.

As more and more time passed, the nature of their relationship changed. They would often catch the other staring at them and then quickly looking away when caught, with a small smile gracing their face. The playful banter and teasing between them developed into flirting, and the want to spend time together without the presence of their friends became a need, almost like breathing. However, while the people around them saw right through their affections for each other, they had yet to realise the depth of what they each felt for the other.   

After three years passed, in April two thousand and ten, when Lieutenant Ren took his Apache flying test, he was awarded his Apache Flying Badge, and just a month later he was promoted to Captain. Rey couldn’t have been prouder of her best friend. He deserved every promotion and award as he had worked so tirelessly to earn them.

Unfortunately, the good news did not last long. Just four weeks after finally completing his training, it was announced that Captain Ren would be deployed to the front lines. For Ben, he saw this as a new adventure, a thrilling prospect. He knew it was his calling and he couldn’t wait to experience what he felt he was born to do and finally put his training into action. Rey however, didn’t see it in the same way. This was the wake up call she needed to realise just how important Ben was to her and all the things she felt for him bubbled to the surface as she thought about losing him. But did he feel the same? Did she want to risk losing the friendship of the one closest to her on the off chance that he may, or may not feel the same for her in return?

 

**May 2010**

The night before Ben’s deployment, Rey decides after much deliberation that she will finally tell him how she feels. She has to know if he feels the same about her before he leaves, the idea of something happening to him and not having the chance to be honest about her feelings leave a horrible pain in her chest. She knows their friends have arranged for a big celebration that night for Ben and the rest of those who would be deployed alongside him.

With the celebration in full swing, Rey finds Ben sitting alongside Poe and another pilot by the name of Mitaka, engaged in deep conversation. She smiles as he looks up and gives her the lopsided grin she has come to love over the past few years. She nods towards the door and raises an eyebrow in question so she doesn’t disturb the conversation. Ben looks back to his friends and quickly excuses himself, putting his bottle down on the table as he gets up and walks towards her. She takes a hold of his large hand and pulls him towards the door, gently closing it behind them as they leave together.

“Is everything okay?” Ben asks, looking at her intently as she guides them further away from the people around them.

“Fine,” she replies, biting her lip nervously. “I just wanted to talk.”

“We had to come outside to talk?” he questions, amusement in his voice as he raises his eyebrows.

Rey lets out a shaky breath as she turns her back to him briefly, before looking back at him to find him staring curiously at her. She could feel her eyes begin to tear up at the thought of never seeing those warm eyes again and it instantly spurs her on. She has to do it now or she’ll never know if her feelings are reciprocated.

“Hey, come on,” he starts and walks towards her. “You know you can tell me anything, right? You’ve got that look on your face.”

“What look? This is my face,” she deadpans, waving her arms in the air dramatically.

“The look that tells me you’re overthinking whatever it is you want to talk about. You also look like you’re about to throw up. So, there’s that too.”

Rey exhales deeply, sighing. “Okay, look. I need to be honest with you, and I need you to stay quiet until I’ve finished. Please?”

The confusion on Ben’s face contorts into concern as he tries to work out what she’s trying to tell him. Rey has never been the most open person, even to him. Had he done something wrong? Is that what she was getting at?

“Okay, ” he responds nervously and sits against the railing outside of the bar they were drinking at, clasping his hands in front of him as he looks up at her and smiles slightly. “Go ahead.”

“I have feelings for you. Feelings that go beyond how a friend should feel,” she starts, unable to make eye contact. “You’ve probably heard this so many times before, being who you are, but I mean it. You’re my first thought as I wake up in the morning and my last thought before I go to sleep. Whenever I close my eyes, I see yours staring back.” She stops and looks up, meeting his shocked, wide-eyed expression.

Panicking, she begins to ramble. “OhgodIshouldnothavesaidthat,” she all but yells at him, turning round to try and hide her face from his view.

“Rey-” he starts.

“Justignoreeverythingihavesaid,” she carries on, not realising he was approaching her until he grabs her elbow with one arm and pulls her closer with the other, slowly pressing his mouth to hers.

His lips are soft and gentle as they meld with hers as she begin to sink into the kiss. Then suddenly, he stops. She opens her eyes to see his panicked ones staring back at her.  

“I’m so sorry,” he says, “I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.” He moves to turn away from her, but she brings his head back to face her own.

“Shut up,” she says firmly as she brings her lips back to his. The fire spreads through her veins and down throughout her body as the kiss deepens, her arms wrapping around his neck. She tastes the flavour of his favourite whiskey on his tongue as they each fight for dominance.

They pull away from each other slowly, breathless, heads spinning. He leans down and presses his forehead against hers gently. “Hopefully that says everything I wasn’t able to,” he tells her quietly.

It is then that Rey realises, sometimes the person you fall for isn’t ready to catch you. Sometimes, like now, you realise the person you fall for has been standing behind you arms outstretched and waiting for you the entire time.

 

* * *

 

**November 2017**

The couple hold hands as they stroll down the path littered with leaves in a haze of various shades of red, yellow and orange giving way to brown. A chill creeps in the air as autumn begins to leave and winter sets in. A symbol of the past Rey is leaving, and the unknown future she will soon be arriving at. Rey leans in closer to Ben as he leads her to the spot in front of the gate leading to the new cottage where their interview will take place for their first photoshoot together as an engaged couple,  the place they will call home after they are married. He can tell she is on edge, this is one of her first official interviews.

They approach the group of people Ben recognises as the photographer and reporter that does the majority of his families formal work.

“Benjamin!” The shorter of the two men announces with a smile as he approaches the couple slowly. He’s an older man in what Rey should assume would be his 50’s with short salt and pepper coloured hair and a kind face. “How are you doing?” he asks as he holds his hand out to Ben.

Ben gives an easy smile in return as he shakes hands with the man. “Henry,” he replies. “Please, call me Ben. Ah, we’re fine. A bit nervous I think?” he questions as he looks down at Rey.

“You must be Rey” the man says with a smile as he turns to face Rey, holding his hand out in the same manner as he did to Ben. “I’m Henry Ellington. I have done most of the family press work since Benjamin was a teenager. I could show you many an embarrassing photo of your fiance” he says with a wink as he takes a quick look at the prince.

Rey shakes his hand and gives a shy smile in return as Ben chuckles lightly from beside her. She can see Henry is trying to make her feel at ease. “Nice to meet you,” she replies with a sneaky look to her fiance, “I may need to take you up on that.” She rolls her eyes. “He’s hidden every teenage photo he can get his hands on at home.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Ben grins down at her.

“I could just Google it,” she says with a wink and humour to her voice.

Ben gasps. “You wouldn’t,” he says, holding his hand over his chest in the same manner an outraged mother would if someone ran naked down a street in front of her and her child.

Rey laughs and shakes her head as one of the assistants take her aside to place her microphone on her inner lapel. Henry looks to Ben with a smile. “You have a good one there,” he says to Ben quietly, out of Rey’s earshot.

“I do,” he replies. “I got lucky.” Ben thinks back through the past few years. It hasn’t been an easy time for the young couple.

After Ben was deployed to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, as a co-pilot and gunner for an Apache helicopter, he tried to remain in contact with Rey as often as possible. Usually every couple of days they would have a few minutes to catch up, ensure that the other was okay and as safe as possible. It was four months later, in September before he returned to base and to Reys waiting arms.

Their lives went back to their version of normal after that period. Now in a committed relationship, Rey soon after met with his family who, like him, fell in love with her. She complimented his every mood. While they were busy, they tried to make time for each other as every other couple would do. They took breaks away together, went out for dinners once a week and spent as much time together as they possibly could, not knowing when the next time Ben could be deployed would be.

They carried on this routine on and off through 2 more short tours over the span of 3 years. In September two thousand and thirteen he got the news that he would be deployed to Camp Bastion again. This time however, there was a big difference. And that difference was that Rey would be joining him. They began needing more specialist mechanics on hand at the camp and as proof that she was one of the best at what she did, Rey was selected. While she was pleased that she would not have to be separated from Ben again, he was absolutely terrified. Knowing firsthand how dangerous and unpredictable a deployment could be he did not want her to go.

Needless to say, it caused a lot of arguments between the young couple. Rey could not understand why Ben was so against her going and he could not understand why she was so intent on going. While she could not protect him, she felt more comfortable knowing she would be seeing him on a daily basis with her own two eyes. His first deployment went without a hitch, right? What could go wrong?

It turned out, everything.

 

* * *

 

 

**February 2014**

The day starts out normally enough. They have been settled at the camp for 5 ½ months. Ben has been called out for his shift as co-pilot on a routine patrol, leaving her with a kiss and a coffee shortly before Rey starts her first job of the day, a beaten up Foxhound patrol vehicle. Rey continues to work throughout the day as an uneasiness fell over her. Something doesn’t feel quite right. It’s much too quiet. She takes a break and goes to find her commanding officer to double check that everything is okay.

He confirms nothing has been called in and while not completely reassured, she turns back to the barracks to carry on with her repairs. Later in the afternoon, her closest female friend since arriving at the camp, Rose Tico, joins her and they work together to fix the last vehicle of the day. Rey soon forgets about the foreboding that had plagued her mind earlier in the day. That is until an enormous bang rattles the entire camp, throwing Rey and Rose both to the floor. No sooner have they both gotten up off of the floor and away from the entryways, when Finn arrives covered in filth and dust from the ground outside the base.

“Rey, you need to get to medical, now,” he gasps.

“What? Why? Finn, what’s going on?” she presses as he tries to pull her to the doors. “Stop yanking my hand!” she shouts.

“Ben’s been hurt. They’re bringing him back now but its not good,” he gulps and watches her reaction carefully.

She balls up her fists, fingers turning white as she starts to breathe heavily. The room starts spinning around her as units of people run past to assess and eliminate the threat that was currently hounding their camp.

“What happened?” she grits out as she grabs his arm tightly and closes her eyes. Trying to keep herself grounded was a lot harder when she couldn’t see where the fuck she was going.

“Let's get you to a seat and we will fill you in,” he urges.

“Tell me!” she all but screams at him. “Please Finn, I need to know what's happening.”

Finn sighs and looks at her through weary eyes. “Someone dobbed him in, Rey. They were flying over Starkiller Valley when Mitaka was shot and they went down. According to Wexley, Ben tried to take over Mitakas controls as well as his own as best as one person could and at detriment to himself they crashed. Thanks to him, Wexley and Mitaka are injured but stable.” Finn stops and looks down. “The First Order knew who he was, Rey. It was like they were looking specifically for him.”

“And Ben?” she manages to stutter out through the thick tears clouding her vision. She can’t bear to ask the question she needs to hear the answer to so badly.

“The last I heard, he was alive but just. Wexley took down the remaining stormtroopers and called it in as quickly as he could but he’s lost a lot of blood and sustained injury to his face, torso and right leg.”

The room starts spinning again and the last thing Rey remembers before everything goes black is Finn's frantic voice calling for a medic.

 

* * *

 

When Rey awakes she’s aware of a person sitting beside the bed she is lying in. She slowly turns her head as her eyes adjust to the low lighting in the medical bay. Why is she here, what the hell happened? It is late evening, the base is quiet and all she can hear are the sound of heart monitors.

“Rey?” she hears the voice of Finn beside her as he gets up to put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t sit up, just lay still for a minute I need to get a medic and let them know you’re awake.” He disappears for a maximum of 30 seconds before he’s back with a medic she knows as the girl Poe is dating, Jessika, following his lead.

“Rey,” she starts with a smile. “How’re you feeling, love?”

“Confused. Tired. I have a headache,” Rey answers bluntly. “Wheres Ben? I need to see him.” She begins to get up, to find that Finn’s hand is once again on her shoulder preventing her from getting up.

“Not yet, Rey. Ben is fine. He’s stable but he needs to rest. Do you remember what happened?” Jessika asks as she shines a small torch into both of Rey’s eyes and looks at her pupils.

Rey pauses and squints, trying to recall the last thing she remembers. “I remember the bang, and Finn coming to find me to tell me about Ben... Then it gets a bit hazy.”

“Okay. Well I think you had a panic attack. Hyperventilating can sometimes lead to a loss of consciousness especially when you’ve had such a bad shock. What you’re feeling now is perfectly normal but I am going to sign you off for a few days, alright?” Jessika writes on what Rey presumes are her medical notes.

“And Ben?” Rey asks warily. She sees Finn frowning out of the corner of her eye.

Jessika sighs. “Ben is stable. He’s sustained deep lacerations to the right side of his face, shoulder and his torso. He’s fractured his femur, his tibia and fibula on his left leg. We’ve fitted a metal plate to stabilise the breaks in his lower leg but his femur should heal in the time he’ll be on bed rest. He’s also dislocated his left shoulder which we have reset. Hopefully it should not give him too much trouble.” She pauses. “He’s going to have a long recovery ahead of him. He may not even be allowed to return to work.”

Rey feels her stomach drop. Her poor Ben. She can’t even begin to imagine what he will be going through. “Is he awake?” she asks tentatively.

“Not yet, we thought it best to keep him under while we perform the tests we need to do, and once we know he is safe to wake up we’ll reverse it.” Jessika watches Rey with concern. “You’re welcome to go in and sit with him, but I stress that you need your rest as well so please don’t stay too long okay?”

Rey swallows and nods. “That’s fine.” She’s lying. She knows that once she goes in to see him, she won’t want to leave. “Shall I join you or would you like to be alone?” Finn asks softly.

“I think... I think I’d like to do this alone if it’s okay?” She gives him a watery smile.

He nods and smiles back. “We’ll be in the canteen if you want anything, yeah?” he tells her as he turns to leave.

Rey takes a deep breath, steeling herself for what is about to come. She eases herself up off of the bed slowly, head spinning where she's spent so much time laid there. _Okay, she thinks to herself, I can do this. I can do it. He needs me._ She slowly walks over to the door separating the Intensive Care Unit from the ward she was resting in. She gulps as she presses her clammy hand against the cool metal trying to give herself the push to enter. She doesn’t know what she’s going to see on the other side of that door, she doesn’t know if she can prepare herself for seeing her big and strong boyfriend lying so vulnerable in a hospital bed surrounded by medical equipment helping to keep him alive.

She enters, the smell of sterility hitting her like a wall as she focuses her eyes on the bed resting against the opposite wall. She doesn’t immediately recognise the Prince lying in the bed before her. Part of her thinks its some sick play of a reversed Sleeping Beauty. She walks over to the bed, hand quickly covering her mouth as she lets out an uncontrollable sob that wreaks through her entire body. Before her, lies Ben. The side of his right face has a line of stitches covering a large cut from his eyebrow, down the side of his distinctive nose through his cheek where it then jumps to his shoulder and comes to a stop half way down his pectoral muscle. He has cuts and scrapes all down his abdomen that were already starting to bruise. She sees the outline of the cast on his left leg underneath the blanket keeping the lower half of his body covered.

As she cries she gently takes hold of his hand and sits next to him on the bed. She turns to face him, using her other hand to stroke the hair away from his face. He always looked so peaceful when he slept. She can’t help but feel guilty that he warned her this could happen. He may not have worried about it happening to himself, but he was right. It was only a matter of time before something of this scale happened at the camp. The thought of whatever future they could have being stolen away brought a fresh wave of anguish and tears to Rey.

Behind her, Rey hears the doors to the ward open as Ben's mother Leia, the Princess of Alderaan herself accompanied by her brother, the Duke of Tatooine, Luke, charge through and into the room Ben is laying in.

“Your Highness,” Rey blurts out as she lets go of Ben’s hand and stands up quickly, backing away from her boyfriend.

“Come now, Rey, we’ve had this discussion have we not? Call me Leia,” the Princess tells her stubbornly. “I can’t have my future daughter in law calling me Your Highness.”

Rey blushes and looks away from Leia back to Ben.

“How is he?” Leia asks gently as she strokes the uninjured side of her only son’s face.

Rey sighs as she offers the seat beside the bed to the Princess and takes a seat back on Ben’s bed beside him as she begins to tell the siblings everything she had been told.

When she finishes she decides to call it a night, remembering what Jessika told her and gives Leia and Luke time to spend with Ben alone. Not that she would get much rest but maybe seeing her friends might aid the gaping hole left in her chest.

 

* * *

 

It is two days later that Ben awakes, surrounded by his Rey, his mother and his uncle. Bleary eyed, he reaches for Rey's hand and looks from person to person. Confusion echoes all over his face. Why can he only see properly out of one eye? What’s covering the other? He questions himself. Luke quickly leaves the room to get the on duty medic.

“Would you like some water?” Rey offers him with a small smile.

He nods gratefully, trying to pull himself into a sitting position.

“Ben, no!” Leia cries as she rushes to support her son. “You can’t do that just yet.”

Rey returns with a glass of water with a straw in and helped Ben draw it into his mouth to take a slow drink. The burning in his throat begins to relax as the water cools it down. She takes the water away and places it on the side once he’s done.

“What happened?” Ben asks with a croak.

Rey explains everything to Ben, from the moment she was told, to what Finn told her and then his injuries. She watches his face contort as he remembers bits of what happened on his shift.

“What about Mitaka and Wexley, are they okay?” he asks with concern in his voice.

“Typical,” Leia says with an eye roll. “You tell him what happened and he’s more concerned about other people. You could have died Ben!” she scolds lightly. “We could have lost you.” They hear her voice begin to waver. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking about doing my job. Putting the lives of my comrades first,” he says, trying to raise his voice. “I did what I was taught to do, if you can save a life, you should save a life.” He swallows, feeling his throat go dry again. “How are they?”

“Injured, but alive thanks to you,” Rey replies softly as she strokes his hair. “You idiot.” She sniffs, trying to ward off the tears from taking over again.

“Your idiot,” he says quietly. “Could I have some more water please?”

Rey smiles and shakes her head and offers him the glass again as he takes a long sip.

Leia looks between the two of them with pride on her face. She sighs. “You have too much of your fathers heart in you, Benjamin.” She tries and fails to look at her son sternly. “For what it’s worth though... I am so, so proud of you. We all are. I don’t condone what you did, but I shouldn’t expect you to have ever done any differently,” she tells him gently. “Never, ever, do it again! I’ve already lost him, I won’t lose my son as well.”

She gently slaps him in the only place on his body that is currently uninjured - the back of his head!

“Mom! Really?” he grumbles at her as he rubs the back of his head.

 

* * *

 

Over the next few months Ben was honourably discharged from the army due to the injuries he sustained in the First Order attack and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that followed. He worked at his physiotherapy and began to build up the strength he lost after the accident. When the time came to fly home, Rey was once again by his side. They both temporarily remained at the base while Rey saw out the last few months of her service and when the time came she chose not to re-enlist and instead they moved closer to Ben’s family. Ben decided with help from his family that he would like to take a more active role in charitable work focused around helping returning veterans to re-adjust to civilian life as well as a more front seat role in public duties. With Rey’s help, Ben set up a charity specifically dedicated to enhancing and supporting the lives of injured and struggling veterans on their return from war.

Rey couldn’t have been prouder of her boyfriend. Despite all he had been through he still only wanted to use his accident as a way to enhance the lives of others. In January 2015, Ben was awarded the Victoria Cross by his grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Padme for his bravery during the First Order attack that almost cost him his life.

 

**November 2017**

“Alright, happy couple, big smiles!” Henry shouts as his photographer takes shot after shot of Ben and Rey in front of the cottage. Ben looks down at Rey and grins as Henry takes the opportunity to take the perfect photo of them.

Once he has the shot he wants, he leads them inside to the warm living room. Rey takes off her coat and lays it gently to the side of the sofa where they would be filming their engagement interview with Henry.

They all sit down. Rey and Ben were both handed a glass of water before they began and just before everything started, Ben squeezed her hand supportively, letting her know that he was there and they could leave at any time if she wanted to. She gave a small smile and a squeeze back.

“Okay,” Henry begins, “Shall we start with the most important bit of news here?” He grins at Ben. “How did you do it? Was it romantic or a spur of the moment?”

“Well,” Ben laughs, “when you say ‘it’ I’m presuming you mean asking Rey to marry me.” He smiles as he recalls the night.

 

* * *

 

**October 2017**

It’s the first weekend in a while that Ben and Rey have a break from the everyday rush of life. Ben had surprised Rey with a weekend away in Naboo. Rey had never been there and she couldn’t wait to see the beautiful scenery of the place that is so close to the royal family's heart.

Ben, however, is incredibly nervous. He hopes Rey can’t tell. He looks over to her, noticing she’s far too entranced by the passing scenery to notice the internal struggle her boyfriend is enduring. Ben’s been planning this particular weekend for months. Not only does he plan on proposing to Rey in the same place his grandparents and parents had gotten engaged, but he has also been secretly working on what would be their new home, nestled away in the countryside of Theed. He had a specially crafted Sein Jewel ring made especially for Rey, no other like it in the world. The Sein Jewels featured heavily in Queen Padme’s Jewellery collection who was more than happy to share a jewel or two for the special occasion.

The evening began with Ben asking Rey if she’d come with him on a walk to stretch his aching leg, something that had plagued him ever since his accident three years prior. He then suggested they take a picnic and travel the short distance to the Lake Country. Once they got everything ready, they arrived shortly before the sun was due to set and settled themselves just before the waterfall that many travel to the isolated part of the country to see.

When Ben’s sure Rey is so transfixed by the rainbows eclipsing through the waterfall, he takes the ring box from his pocket and goes down on one knee just waiting for her to turn around and notice him.

“Ben!” she squeals as she turns to look at him. “Come and loo--.

She stops, eyes wide, taking in her boyfriend down on one knee amongst the wildflowers looking up at her silently. She covers her mouth with her shaking hand, not believing what she’s seeing before her as he begins to speak.

“Rey, from the moment I met you I knew you were something special. Ask anyone you come into contact with and they’ll describe you as someone who lives up to their name, a blinding Rey of light that even the darkest past can’t fight. I can’t imagine a future without you by my side, carrying my children, without hearing your musical laugh or waking up to see your face beside me. You’ve made these past few years bearable when I didn’t think I could do it. Will you marry me?”

Rey, unable to speak, simply nods her head as she throws herself forwards into his arms and sobs. He slips the ring onto her ring finger and gently kisses her, from her knuckle, up her arm, until he tastes the salt on her tearstained lips.

 

* * *

 

**November 2017**

“Wow...” Henry says as he stares at Ben in shock. “I’m sure you’re putting a lot of viewers’ partners to shame here, Ben.”

Ben blushes as he looks away from the camera grinning. He looks over to his fiancee as she begins to speak. “You would actually be surprised. He can be very romantic when he wants to be. He definitely put his grandfather to shame,” she smiles.

“Ah yes,” Henry laughs, “the infamous proposal from Prince Anakin. I’m not sure anyone will forget that, even the people who were born generations later. Speaking of, have you met the Queen and Prince Anakin, Rey?” he questions.

“I have, actually,” she replies. “I’ve met her several times, most recently at the Duke of Tatooine’s Birthday celebration in April. She’s wonderful, a very kind and generous lady.”

“I have had the pleasure of spending some time with her myself and must agree, we are very lucky to have her as a monarch,” Henry replies. “Have you began to prepare for the wedding yet?” he asks the couple.

Ben unclasps his hands and looks at his fiancee.

“We have started making the rough plans. Flowers, colours and dresses mainly,” Rey answers. She looks thoughtful for a moment.

Ben sees the tension slowly leaving her body as he places his hand on top of hers and clasps them together. “Most of it has been mentioned by my mother,” Ben adds with a laugh. “She’s always wanted a daughter so this is a dream to her. I don’t think she ever pictured me settling down. I think we owe it to her to make it a fantastic affair.”

“Ah yes,” Henry smiles slyly. “Leia has never kept her desire to be a grandmother a secret either, has she?”

The young couple blush profusely as Rey covers her mouth laughing, showing off the beautiful Sein Jewel engagement ring her fiance had made for her.

“One thing at a time,” Ben smiles. “We’d both like to start a family one day, but hopefully in the near future,” he says as he pats her knee gently with a smile.

Shortly after a few more questions, the interview ends and the couple are relieved of their microphones and left to their own devices once the team has packed up their equipment and leaves. Henry says a warm farewell to the couple, wishing them well for the future and he too, departs the cottage.

Rey lets out a sigh of relief. Will she ever get used to this? The publicity is a stark difference for someone who grew up as a nobody from nowhere.

Seeing her getting lost in her thoughts, Ben walks over to her and puts his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her head. They stand like that for a while, until Rey decides that an early night is in order and she leads him to bed.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the couple gets ready for the wedding, everything begins to feel much more real. We learn a bit more about Ben and Poes friendship, How things have changed in the past few years for the couple and their friends and finally, the wedding of the century (complete with best mans speech, what could possibly go wrong?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so, so much as usual to [Dryless ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dryless), [LoveOfEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveOfEscapism) and [AlbaStarGazer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlbaStarGazer%E2%80%9D%20rel=) for helping me to beta, giving me song suggestions and generally just keeping me going!

 

 

 

 

 

**May 4th 2018 - The Big Day**

It’s 7:30am, five hours before the wedding is due to start. Four and a half before Ben is due to arrive at the cathedral. Ben paces anxiously in the study of Alderaan House completely lost in thought. He doesn’t hear the door open behind him nor does he see his best friend, and best man, Poe Dameron slip in silently with two garment bags holding the wedding attire they would both be wearing.

“Ben,” he starts, watching the newly appointed Duke of Chandrila in his movements. “Buddy, relax. You’re going to wear a hole through the floor if you carry on.”

Ben looks up at his friend, a weary look on his face as he slows to a stop.

“I vaguely remember you in this position not two years ago, Dameron,” he quips. “Christ. Is it too early to have a drink?” He looks to his friend, the panic begins to become visible on his face.

Poe chuckles at him and shakes his head gently.“Nah. It’s your wedding day, I’d say you’re perfectly within your right to have a drink. Just don’t get drunk. God knows Rey would have my balls hanging from this years Christmas tree if I let her fiance get paralytic before she even walks down the aisle.”

Ben snorts and shakes his head. “On second thoughts, I’d like to survive to see my honeymoon,” he says with a grin. “How long do we have?” he asks.

Poe looks at his watch, “Five hours. Four and a half until we’re due to arrive. Three until Leia expects us both dressed and prepared to go.”

“Precise as ever, Dameron,” Ben remarks as he flicks through the papers given to him by his grandmother, the Queen, this morning. She has officially awarded Ben the title of His Royal Highness, The Duke of Chandrila, the place in which he was born. Once married, Rey will gain the title of Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Chandrila. Ben’s mother Leia and his uncle Luke were also given new titles on the day of their own weddings. They have known for several weeks now, but his grandmother officially announced the news to the public this morning. Rey took a little while to adjust to the idea of having her own title. It is still something she struggles with from time to time. For someone who grew up with privacy, being pushed into the spotlight was something she never expected. Thankfully, with time to adjust, the public began to see what a special and radiant person Rey is and the backlash of their impending marriage began to die off which only made it easier for her. Of course they still get the odd nasty comment but it would be very ignorant if they believed they wouldn’t get them at all.

Ben sighs as he rubs his eyes. “We had better go shower and get ready. If my mother gets here and finds us like this then I’ll be lucky if I live to see my wedding.”

Poe laughed as he clapped his friend on the back. “Completely true. She wouldn’t be Leia otherwise. Alright, let’s get moving. You shower first and I’ll lay everything out.”

“Alright,” Ben answers. He stretches and walks towards the door slowly with Poe behind him. As they leave the drawing room, they find their way up to the second floor where Bens bedroom and own bathroom is situated for when he stays with his mother. They enter the bedroom and Poe hangs up the garment bags from the top of the four poster bed while Ben grabs his toiletries and heads to the bathroom. “I won’t be long” he tells his friend as he waves over his shoulder and enters the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He sighs to himself, hoping Rey is coping better with the anxiety than he is.

 

* * *

 

Rey is sitting on the chair in front of her vanity table in her and Ben’s bedroom at their cottage in Theed. Leia is standing behind Rey, styling her hair into traditional Alderaanian braids, while her adoptive mother, Maz, is adding the final touches to Rey’s bouquet of blue Ithorian Roses. Rey wears a warm fluffy robe while Jessika ensures her dress is ironed properly. The women work in a comfortable silence, taking the time to relax before things get busy. She and Jessika have become very close in the past few years since Jessika and Poe’s own wedding, owing mostly to Ben and Poe’s close friendship. Rey and Ben are godparents to their daughter Isabelle, while Rose and Finn are Godparents to their son, George. Along with Isabelle and George, Finn and Rose’s son and daughter Temiri and Charlotte, Ben’s twin cousins Jaina and Jyn and Harriet and Millicent, daughters of Ben’s childhood friends Gwen and Hux, will be accompanying Rey down the aisle. She could only imagine the trouble Rose and Finn had trying to keep all of the children in line this morning. The thought brings a small grin to her face.

“Jess, have you heard from Poe this morning?” Rey asks, biting her lip.

“He texted about 45 minutes ago, they are both almost ready to leave Alderaan house.” Jess tells her, turning to face her. “Ben is fine” Jess smiles at Rey, knowing what her next question would be.

Rey blushes. “Am I that predictable?” she questions and raises an eyebrow.

“Just a bit,” Jessika laughs. “He’s nervous, but fine.”

“Well, he’s already a step ahead of his father then.” Leia chimes in with a chuckle. “Luke had to hide the alcohol from Han on our wedding day.”

Rey smiles, imagining the scene in her head. She wishes she had the chance to meet Han. She could tell how much Ben and Leia adored their father and husband. Ben decided very early on when planning the seating arrangement in the cathedral that he would like to leave a seat empty next to Leia, as a tribute to his father who couldn’t be there but knew he would have been if he could.

“Alright, Rey,” Leia says as she holds up a mirror behind Rey's head, having finished styling her hair. “Do you like it?” she asks.

The breath leaves Rey’s lungs as she takes in her appearance. “I love it,” she gasps. “Its beautiful, Leia. Thank you.”

Leia smiles. “It’s the traditional braid that Alderaanians use when they get married. I hope you don’t mind, I just thought it would suit you perfectly.”

“Leia, really, I adore it. I’d love to include anything I can of Ben’s heritage,” Rey replies with a smile.

“Alright ladies,” Maz shouts as she appears from the doorway. “It’s the moment we’re all waiting for. Let’s get this dress on!”

Jessika squeals as she unzips the bag holding Rey’s wedding dress. Rey takes a big breath in as she stands up, removing her comfortable fluffy robe. She can’t help but think stepping out of her robe and into her dress signifies the change her life is about to take. This is it, she thinks as she steps towards Jessika. It suddenly feels very real and Rey can’t decide if the excitement or the nervousness is going to win the war that’s raging inside her.

 

* * *

 

Ben stands in front of the full length mirror in his bedroom. The person staring back at him is someone he barely recognises. With permission from his grandmother, Ben is wearing one of his many military uniforms during the ceremony. Although a member of the Army Air Corps, Ben is also a member of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and as it holds special meaning he is wearing the navy Blue and Royals’ uniform associated with it, complete with a yellow sash. The uniform is ranked to Captain on his shoulder with large gold embroidered crowns and the badge on the left chest is his Pilots' Wings badge. Under the Pilots’ wings, he is wearing five medal ribbons. The first signifies the position he holds as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. The second is an Operational Service Service medal for his deployment to Afghanistan. The third is The Queen's Golden Jubilee, the fourth is for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. And finally, the fifth, the most special to him, his Victoria Cross. Awarded to him by his grandmother for his bravery during the First Order attack that almost took his life four years ago.

Ben pays close attention to his face as he brings his hand up to trail his fingers over the fine scar that bisects the right side of his face. If someone told him four years ago that he would be standing here ready to marry his soulmate, he would have laughed at them. They have been through hell and back together in the time they’ve known each other; he can’t believe how lucky he is to have her look at him like he put the moon and stars in the sky. He smiles as he thinks about her, wondering what she’s doing. He never realised how hard it would be to stay away from Rey for the 24 hours before the wedding. If he can help it, it will never happen again.

As Ben brushes his hands down his legs, ensuring he looks presentable enough, Poe enters the room wearing the same style of uniform to complement the groom’s appearance. The only difference is that the wings are those attained flying helicopters whilst serving with the RAF, and instead of four, the two medals he wears are for Queen's Golden Jubilee and Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Poe is also wearing the Garter Star, as his rank is Knight of Officer in the Order of the Garter. As an Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty The Queen, Poe  is also wearing the EIIR cyphers on his shoulder straps along with a gold Aiguillette on his right shoulder.

“Well don’t we scrub up well?” Poe grins as he claps his hand on Ben’s shoulder.

“That we do!” Ben laughs, looking in the mirror at the two of them side by side. His mind drifts back to the day the two met at the age of six. His classmates had just discovered that Ben was the Prince of Alderaan. He was bullied mercilessly by other kids, yet he never fought back or told anyone. Being a quiet child in any sense Ben never drew attention to himself. One day it got particularly bad. Ben was pushed over, his bag emptied and the contents strewn everywhere as the bullies laughed and taunted. That was when Ben noticed that Poe was standing in between him and the bullies. Ben will never forget the first day he met Poe, the day he finally made a friend. His best friend.

He turns to face Poe, his expression suddenly serious. “I just wanted to say, thank you, Poe,” Ben tells him. “For being there through everything. From school, to university, when we lost Dad, and to enlisting together. You’re more than just my best friend, you’re my brother and I’m honoured to have you as my best man today.”

Poe has a silly grin on his face as he looks back at his friend. “Is marriage making you soft already, Solo?” Poe shakes his head. “You don’t need to thank me. I’ll always have your back brother. He puts his hand on Ben’s shoulder and squeezes gently. “Right. We’ve got a wedding to get to.” Poe pats his pockets to ensure he has the rings and on that note, the brothers in arms left the quiet of Alderaan House ready to face the world.

 

* * *

 

Ben and Poe arrive at the church together with twenty minutes left until the ceremony begins. To settle his nerves, they walk around the outside of the building chatting to local citizens that have arrived to watch the ceremony from the surrounding grounds. His security team never liked him putting himself at risk but one of Ben’s favourite things to do as a royal is to meet and get to know people. Especially people who have turned out especially to see him marry his soulmate.

As he realises that time is slipping away, he politely makes his exit and he and Poe enter the church and walk down the aisle towards the altar. They both greet Obi-Wan, the Archbishop performing the ceremony briefly with a handshake and a polite smile. He can imagine his mother will be bouncing off of the walls in anticipation. No sooner had that thought crossed his mind that his mother appeared with his uncle Luke and his wife, Mara. Leia gasps as she takes in the sight of her son before her, dressed to the nines and looking very much like his father did on their wedding day. Ben smiles, his anxiety painted as clearly across his face as the scar that bisects it.

She walks towards him and as she places her hand on his cheek he realises she has tears in her eyes that are at risk of streaming down her face. “Mom,” he greets quietly with a smile, his eyes full of amusement. He places his hand over hers as a small reassurement, not having the words to tell her himself.

“You look perfect,” she says as she strokes his cheek. “If I knew this is what it would take to get you looking prim and proper, I’d have married you off years ago!” she jokes as she swallows more tears. “Han would be proud of you, Ben.” Her eyes crinkle as she smiles at him and pats his cheek before removing her hand and stepping back. He can feel the tears in his own eyes begin to fall.

“Have you seen her this morning?” he asks, changing the subject to one that is not going to make him cry any more as he tries to wipe his eyes and face with his hand. He sees Luke lean forward to hand him a handkerchief which he takes gratefully.

“I have,” she confirms. “She looks absolutely beautiful, you will not be able to keep your eyes off of her. Well, not that you usually can for longer than a few seconds anyway.” She winks playfully. “She will be here soon with Maz and Chewie.”

Ben nods just as he hears a loud fanfare sound from the outside of the building. He can feel his stomach begin to bubble with anticipation as he realises what it means. His grandparents are arriving which means the next person to enter the cathedral after them will be his Rey. He lets out a breath as he turns to look at his best man who grins back.

Leia, Luke and Mara leave the two men standing at the altar as they take their own seats to the right of them. To the left of Leia, the seat that remains empty in memory of his father.  Ben swallows as he tries to picture how his father would look today, sitting in that seat surrounded by their family. What would he think of Rey? As though he could tell what he was thinking, Poe put his hand on Ben's shoulder reassuringly following his line of sight. “He’s here.” he says gently. “Always will be.” Poe was a man of few words, but Ben knows that the few words were full of meaning. Ben nods, remaining as stoic as possible.

While lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice Maz slowly making her way down the aisle with her husband and Rey’s father, Chewie. They get to the high altar where Chewie takes his place, waiting for his daughter to enter through the Nave. Maz walks down the rest of the aisle by herself until she reaches Ben, giving him a strong reassuring squeeze on his arm as she walks past to take her seat on the other side of Leia. He realises that if Maz and Chewie are here, then that means Rey must be too. The sound of quiet chatter is drowned out by the string quartet playing beautifully at the back of the nave.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Poe grin at someone walking towards them. He turns to see Jessika walking to her seat a few feet away from them. Ben meets her eyes briefly, long enough for her to give him a wink and a reassuring smile. Knowing that Jessika travelled in the car behind Rey with Finn, Rose and the small group of bridesmaids and pageboys, that meant she was indeed outside getting ready to make her entrance once his grandparents had made theirs.

A few minutes later, the arrival of the Queen and Prince is announced as the guests seated inside the cathedral are asked to stand. His grandparents enter and walk towards the archbishop, greeting him as one would an old friend. He smiles at his grandparents as they then leave to take their seats situated central to the altar, a few feet away from the rest of his family.

As the congregation take their seats awaiting the bride, the string quartet ceases to play and in their place the choir begins to sing as the clergy take their places at the high altar.

As a new fanfare sounds outside, signifying that Rey has begun to move, Poe leans over to Ben to check that he’s doing alright. Ben nods briefly, not taking his eyes off of the corner of the nave where his bride will soon appear.

 

* * *

 

Rey stands just outside of the cathedral with her small entourage of bridesmaids and pageboys surrounding her, being kept in their places by Rey’s Maid of Honour Rose who, at the same time, is trying to straighten out Rey’s train because god knows she will likely trip over it. As she was getting out of the beautiful Tie Silencer car, her husband to be’s trademark vehicle, she could hear the crowd’s reaction to her beautiful ivory dress that was designed by Givenchy’s Clare Waight Keller. It has an open bateau neckline and three quarter length sleeves that gracefully frame the shoulders and emphasises her muscular yet slender arms and waist. The lines of the dress extend towards the back where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. To finish it off, under her veil Rey is wearing the very same tiara that belonged to Ben's great-great-grandmother.

The slight pause gives Rey a chance to think. If someone had told her seven years ago that one day she would become the Duchess, wear designer wedding gowns, tiara and marry the Prince of Alderaan, she would think they were mad. She still feels like that nobody from nowhere, only now that nobody is a somebody. Not because of the title, or the designer clothes but because of how Ben makes her feel. She smiles, knowing that they will be reunited within the next few minutes.

When the choir begins to since her choice of song, Rey enters the cathedral, trying to remember the pace that they set at the rehearsals, closely followed by the children. George and Temiri were gently holding up part of the train as they slowly followed the Duchess while the bridesmaids trailed behind her.

As she turns the corner into the nave she meets Poe’s eyes. She sees him quickly mouth something to Ben, who then whips around to face her with a smile on his face. His smile is quickly wiped off and replaced with wide eyes and a grin as he takes in her appearance. It becomes obvious he only has eyes for his bride as Poe tries and fails repeatedly to get his attention which causes the small amount of immediate friends and family gathered around them to laugh. When Rey gets to Chewie, he looks at her proudly as he takes her small hand into his large one and smiles as he quite obviously tries to keep from tearing up. He offers her his arm and as she takes it she can’t help but remember all of the times in the past that this man has supported her in all that she’s done. “Ready for this?” he asks in his thick Glaswegian accent. She nods, not trusting herself to speak just yet.

As Chewie accompanies her down the aisle towards Ben, she can finally see him standing proudly in his uniform, still grinning as he waits for her to get to him. He looks poised and relaxed in posture with his hands clasped in front of him. When they reach the altar, Chewie offers the hand of Rey’s that he’s holding to Ben and shakes his hand tightly. With a kiss to the cheek, he lets go and takes his seat beside Maz, who has been crying quietly since the moment Rey entered the building.

She turns to face her fiance, who's still looking at her with a look of wonder written across his face. “You look stunning,” he tells her as he strokes her hand gently. “I’m incredibly lucky.”

She grins at his attempt to be smooth, rolling her eyes. “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she finally manages to reply as she takes in his military regalia.

While they are both unable to pull their eyes away from each other, they are briefly aware of how Rose along with Gwen Hux begin to lead the children off to somewhere quieter until after the wedding had finished. Poe distinctly clears his throat, getting the attention of the couple and nods towards the Archbishop who had reappeared now ready to begin the ceremony.

The couple look to the Archbishop who smiles kindly at them. The corners of his eyes crinkle in a way that made Ben think of his grandfather. He clears his throat and begins to speak.

_“The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,_

the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

be with you: and also with you.”

At the closing point of his words, the room around them take their seats. As everyone settles and the silence returns, the archbishop begins to speak again.

“In the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,we have come together to witness the marriage of Benjamin Anakin Bail and Kira Rey, to pray for God’s blessing on them, to share their joy and to celebrate their love. Marriage is a gift of God in creation through which husband and wife may know the grace of God. It is given that as man and woman grow together in love and trust, they shall be united with one another in heart, body and mind, as Christ is united with his bride, the Church. The gift of marriage brings husband and wife together in the delight and tenderness of sexual union and joyful commitment to the end of their lives. It is given as the foundation of family life in which children are born and nurtured and in which each member of the family, in good times and in bad, may find strength, companionship and comfort, and grow to maturity in love. Marriage is a way of life made holy by God, and blessed by the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ with those celebrating a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Marriage is a sign of unity and loyalty which all should uphold and honour. It enriches society and strengthens community. No one should enter into it lightly or selfishly but reverently and responsibly in the sight of almighty God. Benjamin and Rey are now to enter this way of life. They will each give their consent to the other and make solemn vows, and in token of this they will each give and receive a ring. We pray with them that the Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen them, that they may fulfil God’s purposes for the whole of their earthly life together.”

Rey feels the corners of her eyes begin to water again as she smiles up at Ben who tries to discreetly wipe the side of his nose with his hand. Emotions have never come easily to the man, even in the last few years. The room stands around them again as they begin to sing a hymn.

_“Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy, Whose trust, ever child-like,_

_no cares could destroy,_

_Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray, Your bliss in our hearts, Lord,_

_at the break of the day._

 

_Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith, Whose strong hands_

_were skilled at the plane and the lathe,_

_Be there at our labours, and give us, we pray, Your strength in our hearts, Lord,_

_at the noon of the day._

 

_Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace, Your hands swift to welcome,_

_your arms to embrace,_

_Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray, Your love in our hearts, Lord,_

_at the eve of the day.”_

All remain standing as the Archbishop leads _. “_ Firstly, I am required to ask anyone present who knows a reason why these persons may not lawfully marry, to declare it now.”

The couple grin at each other, this being one of the biggest topics they couldn’t help but joke about during their engagement. The idea of a past jilted lover charging through the doors of the cathedral in hopes of putting a stop to the wedding. The joke being that no one in their right minds could ever stop the ball that had begun rolling the day they met in the barracks hangar.

Obi-Wan chuckles deeply as he refaces the couple and continues. “The vows you are about to take are to be made in the presence of God, who is judge of all and knows all the secrets of our hearts; therefore if either of you knows a reason why you may not lawfully marry, you must declare it now.”

 _Knows all of our secrets? God I hope not_ , Rey thinks to herself and gulps. Almost as he can feel her unease, Ben begins to stroke the backs of her fingers.

Obi-Wan turns to Ben, all lightheartedness gone from his face, and addresses him. “Benjamin, will you take Rey to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

Ben begins to tremble slightly as he answers in the most solid and confident voice he can muster. “I will”.  
  
The Archbishop nods and turns himself to face the bride. “Rey, will you take Benjamin to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

She can feel Obi-Wan’s eyes boring into the side of her head as she gives eye contact to Ben, a subtle smile on her face as she repeats the answer he gave. “I will.”

The Archbishop smiles as he turns to face the congregation and says: “Will you, the families and friends of Benjamin and Rey, support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?”

The silence before the answer lasts entirely too long for the couple, who feel as though the ceremony is three times longer than the days previously during the rehearsals.  

“We will.” The friends and families reply firmly. Ben squeezes her hand. One step closer to the confirmation of their vows and their new titles as man and wife.

The couple look to each other, holding a silent conversation only within their eyes and brief touches of this hands as the Archbishop invites the congregation to pray for the couple.

  
_“God our Father, from the beginning_  
_you have blessed creation with abundant life._  
_Pour out your blessings upon Benjamin and Rey,_  
_that they may be joined in mutual love and companionship, in holiness and commitment to each other._  
_We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son,_  
_who is alive and reigns with you,_ _  
_ in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”

The congregation finally retake their seats for the first time since before the beginning of their vows. Ben and Rey take a pair of seats in the center of the room to the left of the altar as the first reading of the ceremony began.

The couple couldn’t decide whether the next 30 minutes feel shorter or longer as the reading is followed by another hymn, an address by the local priest and then finally, the choir begin to sing, signalling that the next part of the ceremony will be the exchanging of their vows.

As the Archbishop reappears the choir begin to quiet, and the couple all but jump out of their seats which brings a laugh to the congregation and to Kenobi as he asks everyone to stand again. He smiles kindly at them as he begins to speak "Benjamin and Rey, I now invite you to join hands and make your vows, in the presence of God and his people."

The Bride and Groom face each other and rejoin hands as Ben begins to speak. "I Benjamin, take you, Kira Rey, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow."

Rey takes a deep breath and echos Bens previous words, "I Kira Rey, take you, Benjamin, to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow."

The Archbishop looks up and addresses the 600-strong congregation, including the Queen and the Duke of Naboo: “Will you, the families and friends of Benjamin and Kira Rey, support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?”

The guests answer his prompt wholeheartedly, “We will.”

At his prompt and with a grin, Poe leans over to his most loyal friend and passes Obi-Wan the rings that Ben and his bride will exchange.

The Prince leads the exchanging of the rings, with both pledging to give "this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit” as they hold the ring over before placing it on the fourth finger of their beloved.

Obi-Wan addresses the chapel and declares the couple husband and wife, while the newly-married Duke and Duchess of Alderaan gaze lovingly at one another.

The Archbishop says, "In the presence of God, and before this congregation, Benjamin and Rey have given their consent and made their marriage vows to each other. They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of rings I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife."

The Archbishop joins their right hands together and says, "Those whom God has joined together, let no-one put asunder."

In all but writing, the couple are married. Rey can’t believe they have finally gotten to the day neither of them could wait for; the start of their life together. Now they just have the rest of the ceremony to get through!

The priest that performed the reading earlier in the ceremony returns to stand with Archbishop Kenobi as they begin to bless the couple. Kenobi’s voice rings out around them as he begins to speak again.

_“Blessed are you, O Lord our God, for you have created joy and gladness, pleasure and delight, love, peace and fellowship. Pour out the abundance of your blessing upon Benjamin and Kira Rey in their new life together. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts and a crown upon their heads. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; awake and asleep, in joy and in sorrow, in life and in death. Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that banquet where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home. We ask his through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and give you peace. Amen.”_

_“God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve and keep you; the Lord mercifully grant you the riches of his grace, that you may please him both in body and soul, and, living together in faith and love, may receive the blessings of eternal life. Amen._ **_”_ **

“Please let everyone be seated, while Reverend Bridger leads our prayers,” The archbishop offers as the congregation and the happy couple take their seats.

The reverend nods and offers a small smile as he once again begins to speak his craft into the cathedral around them.

_“Faithful God, holy and eternal, source of life and spring of love, we thank and praise you for bringing Benjamin and Kira Rey to this day, and we pray for them. Lord of life and love: hear our prayer._

_May their marriage be life-giving and life-long, enriched by your presence and strengthened by your grace; may they bring comfort and confidence to each other in faithfulness and trust. Lord of life and love: hear our prayer._

_May the hospitality of their home bring refreshment and joy to all around them; may their love overflow to neighbours in need and embrace those in distress. Lord of life and love: hear our prayer._

_May they discern in your word order and purpose for their lives; and may the power of your Holy Spirit lead them in truth and defend them in adversity. Lord of life and love: hear our prayer._

_May they nurture their family with devotion, see their children grow in body, mind and spirit and come at last to the end of their lives with hearts content and in joyful anticipation of heaven. Lord of life and love:_ _hear our prayer.”_

Kenobi takes a breath and then continues. _“Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us.”_

_“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done; on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen._

The room around the couple once again stand up, as the final hymn before the end of the ceremony begins. Once it is finished the room remains standing as the newly married couple, The Princess of Alderaan, Maz and Chewie are moved to a small room off to the side in order to sign the register, fully cementing their marriage.

Once the register is signed by both the couple, the Princess and Maz as their witnesses, Ben and Rey were allowed to leave the room. They are led over to the part of the stalls where the Queen and Prince were seated, curtseying per protocol and then hand in hand they begin to walk back down the aisle ready to face the public awaiting outside.

As they walk, the couple talk quietly amongst themselves as they smile to the guests at the back of the cathedral that were not close enough to have been spoken to before the ceremony took place. They are conscious of the children now following behind them quietly, having been fetched by Rose and Gwen.

The next part is the bit Ben cannot wait for. One of the differences in a royal wedding is a kiss is not always given once the vows are completed. The couple had talked in depth about where and when their first public kiss will take place and to avoid being hounded anymore than either of them would like, it will take place as soon as possible once they leave the church.

The noise of the public and church bells ring out as they turn the corner into the final part of the church aisle before reaching the front doors of the cathedral. It is here Ben notices Rey has started to shake briefly and has tightened her grip on his arm. He leans over to offer words of encouragement and reassurance. “We can stop whenever you want. No one would blame you,“ he offers as his eyes search hers. “Really.”

She shakes her head and smiles tightly. “No, I am fine” she says, “lets get it over with.” She reassures herself with the thought that they have done this many times before, the only difference this time is that she is with her husband and not her fiance.

Ben releases Rey’s arm as he takes her hand in his as he smiles reassuringly. She smiles back, more authentically this time. Her husband leads her out, a step in front as the two Queens guards on either side of the door raise their ceremonial swords in salute. The couple smile brightly to the members of the public surrounding the church as the prince steps in close to his bride. They turn to look at the other and if it were even possible, they smile even more as Ben lean towards Rey and kiss her gently on the lips. Once. Twice. Three times and then steps away and grins as his cheeks redden. The crowd roars loudly from the bottom of the steps as they watch the young prince gaze adoringly at his new wife.

They notice their families begin to circle them so Ben leads Rey forward to the top of the steps to give the other members a chance to move around them.

He looks at her and felt his chest tighten. His wife. Not his girlfriend, not his fiance and not just his best friend but his wife.

As Poe leaves the church, he claps his best friend on the shoulder and pulling him into a bear hug. Much to the amusement of the friends and family, and to the public around them. He briefly heard Rey’s encouragement of “GET A ROOM!” shouted and Finn’s booming laugh from behind him. Ben hugs Poe back with a grin and pushes him away as he reinstates himself as a happily married man and steps back towards his wife.

Ben kisses her hand as he retakes it in his and leads her to the white classical horse drawn carriage now waiting at the bottom of the steps outside the cathedral. He helps her in and walks around to the other side to get in next to her. He is handed a ceremonial hat and white gloves by Poe, which he puts on before getting in beside her and making sure she is seated comfortably.

They smile at each other and kiss each other briefly once again as the carriage pulls away from the church towards their first reception venue in the city. “This is what I needed,” she says as they ride, the breeze lapping through the ends of her hair. “No others. Just you.” She grins.

Ben smiles back, not able to picture a time where his thoughts were not consumed with Rey. He sits and watches her wave to the crowds surrounding the quaint streets they rode down. She may not have been raised as a royal, but she is every bit a queen in that moment.

 

* * *

 

**Later in the day:**

The party is in full swing as everyone celebrates the biggest marriage in modern culture. The happy couple have taken a few minutes away to fuss over the other and change their clothes, before, in Ben’s words, Rey trips over the train of her dress after one too many cocktails and gets herself hurt. Ben is now dressed in a black and white tuxedo while struggling to do up his cufflinks, gifted to him by his mother this very morning. Something she had kept of his fathers for when this day happened that he always swore brought him luck. The gold squares shaped like corellian dice take pride of place on his wrists after Rey, now dressed in a lily white halter neck, eventually took pity and did them up for him.

He watched her as she was putting on her earrings, her hair now up in her trademark three bun style. After the wedding, Ben gifted her a ring that had a special place in his family. It is an impressive, emerald cut aquamarine, which once belonged to Princess of Alderaan, a wedding present gifted to her by her late husband, Han Solo. He steps over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kisses a small line from her earlobe, along her jaw. He stops as he feels her hold her breath and nuzzles her instead, knowing he shouldn’t start something he was not in a position to accomplish when a room full of people are expecting them.

He turns her to face him as he kisses her chastly on the lips and steps back. “We should go before my mother comes looking for us. You know what she’s like on an open bar,” he says as he shakes his head, a light smile on his face.

She laughs as she remembered the last time Leia had let herself get drunk. “God forbid we have the grandchildren speak on our wedding day.” “Good point” she smiles as she takes his hand and pulls him towards the door. “Let’s get going, I’m starving.”

When they get there, the first thing they notice is that Finn and Poe are well on their way to inebriation. They are currently attempting to pull off a two man conga around the edge of the dance floor, encouraged wholeheartedly by Uncle Luke.

Ben is thanking whatever god that can currently hear him that the paparazzi are banned and not allowed within a mile of the country house where the reception is held or he’s sure they would be having a field day.

Their arrival is met with a loud cheer as the friends and family descend to impart their congratulations, hopes for the future and wisdom on the happy couple. They are instantly handed their choice of drinks as they mingle with the guests and thank everyone for their time.

As time passes and drinks are finished the party is in full swing. Ben finds and catches up with a group of friends he met in the army but had not had the time to reconnect with, Rey is slowly drinking Poe under the table with Jessika’s blessing and Leia, surprisingly, has not yet brought up her potential grandchildren.

Before losing the ability to speak completely, Poe liberates a glass of champagne as he draws everyone’s attention to him by tapping the edge of his glass with a spoon.

“Can I have your attention please?” he asks as everyone stops to a murmur and turns to him. Ben can briefly be heard swearing under his breath in sheer panic. “For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Poe and for those of you that do... Well I apologise."

“There comes a time in every man’s life when he meet his soulmate. The person that will love, support and guide you for the rest of your life. That moment came for Ben… twenty-six years ago, when he met me.” The room around him bursts into laughter. Poe shakes his head with a grin on his face as he continues, ”on behalf of our happy couple, I hope everyone is enjoying this very special day. They are touched that everyone has been able to attend and make what has been a beautiful day so much more enjoyable.”

He lifts his arm as he gestures to Rey. “I think you will all agree, our bride looks absolutely stunning today.” The guests around the murmur and clap briefly before Poe starts again. “As opposed to our groom, who looks like he has just been won in a raffle.” Poe grins at Ben who barks out a loud laugh.

“A big thank you from everyone to the ever wonderful Leia, who is hosting this wonderful reception and providing the open bar, we are quite literally in your debt. Also a huge thank you to the bridesmaids, our usher for turning up sober.” He grins at Finn. ”And to the page boys and the cutest little flower girls ever – you have _all_ done a fantastic job today” he says with a soft smile as he looks at the children milling around the room.

He clears his throat as he continues. “Anyone who knew Ben and Rey on the base knew that this day was a long time coming. It doesn’t matter where they are in a room, the other will always capture their attention. They gravitate towards each other and I’m more than eighty-five percent sure they can read each other’s mind.” At the last part, Finn holds up what’s left of his drink and loudly agrees as Rose attempts to shush him.

“It took three years, copious amounts of alcohol and a trip around the world to get them to admit how they felt about each other. They were the last ones to notice and god was it painful for us!” He stops, swallows and looks back up. “But here they are, eight years, a dog, a house and many jobs later, finally Mr and Mrs. Or the Duke and Duchess to us commoners.” He pauses as they laugh.

“Most of you won’t know that Ben was my best man when I got married, he delivered a terrific speech and didn’t really take the Mick out of me very much that day….by the end of this speech he’ll probably wish that he did.” He looks directly at Ben with a wink.

“When it comes to choosing a best man it’s a difficult task and sometimes one that people really don’t want to do. Ben asked someone who was reliable but they couldn’t do it, so then he asked someone good looking but they also couldn’t do it, then he asked someone good looking and charming, but again they couldn’t do it. However once he asked me for the fourth time I gave in and accepted.”

“But really. Ben, you have never been my friend, you’ve always been a brother. We’ve played together, fought together, healed together and we’ve grown up together.” He gulps back tears. “No one deserves today more than you, buddy.” He turns to face Rey, “Look after him for me.” She nods silently as she wipes her face.

“Alright, enough sappy stuff.” He lifts his glass and looks to Ben and Rey at the high table. “To the Bride and Groom!” he toasts and the room repeats with him. He sees the couple twist their arms around the other as they sip champagne from the others glass with a smile.

As Poe steps down, Ben and Rey approach him. Rey gives him a short hug and kiss on the cheek, thanking him for his beautiful words. Ben claps him on the shoulder as they pull each other in for a silent but meaningful hug.

Once everyone settles back down, it is time for the first dance. Instead of a DJ, Rey requested a band to play at the wedding. It had a more personal meaning, ensuring the songs played were unique to them. Ben takes Rey by the hand and leads her out onto the dance floor. His hands slide around her as her arms weave their way around his neck and their eyes meet. They begin to sway as the band starts to play a cover of Thinking out Loud. They smile at each other, muttering sweet nothings under their breath. Rey lays her head on Ben’s shoulder as other couples start to make their way onto the dance floor.

As the song ends, Ben kisses Rey's forehead and goes to find Leia and Rey goes to find Maz. As a tribute to their mothers, the couple has requested that the second song be a cover of God Only Knows.  Both of them had difficult upbringings. Parental failings and absences that couldn’t be forgiven but as they both grew up they began to see the world in new eyes. No matter what, Leia had been there for Ben. The loss of his father was a heavy burden to wear as a child, but with Leia right beside him, Ben excelled. When Ben had Leia, Rey had Maz and Chewie. Maz and Chewie adopted Rey at the age of eleven from the local children’s home after Rey was abandoned by her family as a young child. They took her in and raised her and helped her grow into the woman she is.

As the song begins, Ben offers his hand out to Leia. Shock registers on her face as she slowly reaches out to take his hand. They walk slowly to the dance floor and begin to dance. “I just wanted one last moment with the most important woman in my life,” Ben tells her, “I’ve never thanked you properly for everything you have done for me. Helping me become the man I am today.”

Leia chokes back a sob as she hugged her son close, his head resting on hers. “Your father would be very proud of the man you are, Ben. Never forget that,” she whispers quietly. On the other side of the room, Rey dances slowly with Maz. “I’m proud of you child,” she says as she reaches up to cup Rey’s cheek. Rey moves her hand over Maz’s and closes her eyes. “You have come so far. The longing you seek is not behind you, it is in front of you," she says as her eyes wander over to Ben and Leia.

The couple mingle with their friends. Poe, Ben and Finn having a shot contest that Rey interrupts, cheekily insisting that she does not want her husband to sleep through their wedding night.

As the night wears on, the royal couple and the guests mingle and catch up. They cut their cake, Rey’s hand covering Bens as he cuts the first slice. Rey grins as she offers Ben a bite. He leans and opens his mouth only for her to smush the cake into his face. After the shock wears off, he barks out a laugh as he takes the remains of the slice of cake and repays the favour, covering her face in ivory buttercream and crumbles.

Ben, now being very tipsy, starts to kiss away the buttercream that’s splattered over her jaw, up to her nose and back down to her lips, planting kiss after sloppy kiss on her. “Ready to go home, wife?” Ben whispers huskily in her ear. Rey lets out a deep breath as she nods.

Signalling that may be where tonights celebrations with their families end, they go to announce their departure to everyone. Leia, surprisingly still sober, hugs the couple as the guests begin to come over and say goodbye to the couple.

Ben leads Rey outside to where his 2018 Tie Silencer is waiting, Artoo waiting in the driver’s seat. The guests follow them outside for one last glance at the couple before they disappear into the sunset. He takes her hand and helps her down the steps slowly with a smile on his face. He opens the door and leads her in, closing the door tightly behind her as he walks around to the other side, waving to the guests as he gets in. They watch as he leans over and kisses Rey on the lips before the couple turn to face them and wave before the car slowly begins to drive off, the just married sign attached to the back.

He takes hold of her hand and strokes his thumb over her fingers as he smiles at her, tiredness showing on his face. “I love you,” she tells him as she looks into his eyes. He squeezes her hand tightly and leans over to kiss her. “I know,” he replies.

Maz’s words ring in Rey’s mind: “The longing you seek is not behind you, it is in front of you". If this is what she has to look forward to, as she looks into her husband's eyes, then she can’t wait for the future.  


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When two become three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always to the lovely [Dryless ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dryless) for betaing this for me at such late notice. You rock! Also a big thank you to MumblesMusings on Tumblr for creating this beautiful image for me!

 

**5th July 2019**

 

“He’s so small”, Ben says softly as he gazes at his newborn son nestled in the crook of Rey's arm.

“Easy for you to say,” Rey replies, “you didn’t push him out.” She laughs as she strokes the baby’s face and looks up at her husband lovingly. “He has your pout”.

Ben grins at her. “Better that than my nose. Or my ears for that matter.” He grimaces as he tries to smooth his hair down to hide his ears.

“He would be beautiful no matter how many of your features he has. But for what it’s worth, I’m glad he has your mouth,” she says absentmindedly.

It is the fifth of July two thousand and nineteen, fourteen months after they were married, Ben and Rey welcome their first child, a son, into the world.

Rey still has trouble believing she has married the second in line to the throne, let alone just given birth to the third. And he is perfect. Ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes just waiting to be kissed.

He was born at 8:01am with his father’s shock of black hair after a smooth labour, seven hours after Rey was first admitted to the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in the early stages of labour.

Camera crews and eccentric fans have been camping outside the hospital for the past week after calculations of the Duchesses due date were made based on the date they announced they were expecting their son back in February when Rey was twelve weeks pregnant.

Despite the initial reservations and outbursts, the public around the world have fallen in love with Rey and the balance she was shown to have brought Ben since their relationship was scrutinised more heavily.

Since their marriage in May of the previous year, Rey has started to not only accompany her husband on official duties but she’s also began to undertake her own as well, only stopping when heavily pregnant with their son. She visits hospitals, schools, hospices, various different charities and attended memorial events in honour of the country and the people she had a part in fighting for.

Ben meanwhile, has invested a lot of work in the Invictus Games from which the Invictus Foundation was begun. After his accident Ben really began to think about how injuries sustained in the military affect the lives and futures of those who served. During the Invictus Games disabled ex-personnel and their associated veterans take part in various sports and compete. Ben is still the patron and he and Rey make a little bit of time every year to support them. Their long term goal is to ensure injured troops are not forgotten as Britain’s involvement in the Afghanistan war comes to an end. They have come so far since that first spat in the mechanical bay of their base.

Rey is shaken out of her thoughts by the nurse coming in and checking she is feeling well and comfortable. “I’m fine,” she smiles to the nurse as she passes her son to her husband. “I’d love some toast though.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” the nurse replies as she smiles at the scene before her. “If you both continue doing well you may even be allowed to take him home today instead of tomorrow given how early he arrived and how well you are doing.”

Rey settles into the pillows behind her as she watches her husband cradle their son. He looks tiny in the large hands of her husband. As a child before the day Maz and Chewie came into her life, Rey never saw much of a personal future for herself. She knew she wanted to go the military, but past that she never even dreamed she would one day be married with a son, let alone to be married to and a mother to the future kings of England, a reoccuring theme that repeated in her mind. She left her thoughts and continued to watch her boys interact. She smiled and swallowed the lump in her throat, as she tested the words in her mind.

_ Her boys. _

The day was going by quickly and soon enough the immediate members of their family will arrive to greet the new addition. Sure enough, an hour and a loud cheer erupting from outside later, the Princess of Alderaan, and Maz arrive baring gifts and easy smiles. Almost immediately Leia begins snapping photos of Ben and her new grandson while Maz fusses over Rey as Chewie looks on proudly.

“So does my grandson have a name?” Maz asks inquisitively, looking from Rey to Ben.

“He does,” Ben replies, “we just have to run it by my grandmother in a few days and we can announce it properly.” Maz continues to look at him until he takes a breath and speaks again. “Jacen. His name is Jacen.” He smiles as he says his sons name and gazes down at the boy.

“Jacen,” Maz repeats, testing the name on her tongue. “I love it. A strong name for a strong boy” she nods.

“Would you like a cuddle, Maz?” Rey asks looking at her mother with a smile.

If it were possible, Maz’s face lights up even further as Rey asks the question. “Of course,” she starts, “who wouldn’t?” She settles in the chair that she’s sitting in as Ben passes his son to her gently.

Once Maz has spent enough time getting to know her grandson, she passes him to Leia, who was all but trying not to bounce around the room. “I can’t believe how small he is,” Leia whispers as she strokes his cheek. “He looks just like you, Ben. But you can tell he’s your son, Rey,” she says absentmindedly.

After a while Jacen begins to fuss, becoming hungry and missing the feel of his mother against his skin. Leia gently passes him back to Rey as she pulls down her gown and places him on the skin of her chest. As the young prince is feeding, Maz and Leia decide to leave the couple and their son to adjust.

Once the baby is finished feeding Ben takes him and places him back in his bassinet as Rey begins to fall asleep. Finally letting her eyes drift shut, the world goes dark.

She wakes several hours late with a start, panicking about Jacen. She needn’t have worried, she looks over to the corner of the room to find Ben fast asleep in his chair with their son comfortably dozing against the skin of his fathers chest.

The door creeps open as the doctor in charge of Rey and Jacens care enters quietly. “Mrs Solo ,” he starts, “I’m just here to assess you and your son and hopefully discharge you, all being well.”

At the sound of the consultant’s voice, Ben awakens gently, remembering his son is nestled into his chest. He stands and takes the baby to the bed, placing him down gently as the consultant begins to talk Rey through what he is doing.

Once he is done and satisfied mother and baby are both well he signs discharge papers for them to leave the hospital. Ben smiles at his wife as they are left alone to prepare for their departure. Ben starts to dress as Rey dresses their son, taking in every gentle movement she does. She looks stunning like this, motherhood suiting her greatly. Once finished Ben takes over from Rey and swaddles his son in a warm blue blanket and holds him to his chest while Rey slowly dresses herself, applies a small amount of makeup and brushes her long brown hair while Ben quietly ensures everything they brought with them is in the bag and ready to go.

The couple know what comes next. It is part of tradition that before leaving for their home that they take their son to the front steps of the hospital and give the public turnout and the reporters their fill of photos of themselves with their newborn son, the future king, and if desired, to answer their well wishes personally. His grandparents did it with his mother and his mother and father did it with him.

Ben turns to face Rey, his jaw clenched as his tired eyes searched hers. It was no secret between the two that they wanted to remain in their own little bubble for a little bit longer, just the three of them. This moment would never happen again and they want to enjoy it for as long as it lasts. But once he gets the two of them home they have all the time together they would want, they just needed to get through this first.

“Ready?” he asks her as he hands Jacen back to her gently, his hand stroking hers gently during the handover. He picks up the bags and turns back to his wife, awaiting her answer.

She nods and sighs as she offers him a timid smile. “As ready as we’ll ever be. It doesn’t have to be long does it? Just a few minutes?” It is strange how quickly the maternal feelings kick in. 

“Just a few minutes,” he agrees, nodding. “Just think of it this way, at least if we do this we don’t have to pay for a family photo,” he adds with a grin.

Rey laughs softly and shakes her head. “If it comes to it I’m sure we have some wedding china we could sell,” she replies with a wink. 

The couple makes their way towards the entrance hall of the hospital where a small team of attendants are waiting. Ben deposits the bag on the floor as he nods to a member of their personal security signalling that they are ready. He leaves quietly, joining another guard at the bottom of the steps on either side. 

Ben offers his hand to Rey part in question and part in reassurance, nerves bubbling in his own stomach despite having made a public appearance daily since he was a young boy. The bubbling lessens as Rey takes his hand, stepping towards him and giving a tentative smile as she nods towards the door. 

The attendants at the side of the doors open them, allowing the couple and their son to leave. They are instantly blinded by the mixture of sunlight and the flashing of cameras from all directions outside as they pass through. The only thing visible, the waving of various celebratory flags and banners. Noise erupts as everyone becomes aware of the young family. Questions are being shouted in the midst of the cheering. Ben lets go of Rey’s hand, letting her focus on holding Jacen while he repositions his hand to her back. They stop as they reach the center of the top of the stairs and Ben steps closer, holding his other hand up in a polite wave as he smiles. He looks over to see Rey doing the same, once again he is struck by how easily she is taking this in her stride and how radient she looks only hours after what can only be described as carnage being unleashed on her body. At this thought he notices his wife staring back at him with an eyebrow raised in question. He shakes his head with a grin. 

They stand together gazing down at their son, only now having it sink in just how important this is. Not just to them, or their family and friends, but to the people of their country. They’ve made history, the proof right here snuffling softly in their arms. 

Rey looks up at Ben, about to mouth something to him under the intensity of noise around them. He looks back as she asks him wordlessly if he would like to hold his son, giving the people another bit of tradition, the prince and his child. He nods as they pass their son between them as one would with a crown jewel.

Ben stands proudly, holding his son in the crook of his left arm as his right wraps around his wife as the paparazzi take photos that will be covering papers for weeks: The Duchess of Chandrila gazing adoringly at her husband as he gazes down with the same level of devotion to their son. 

The couple are suddenly then brought back into the moment as questions begin pouring out of all directions again. 

“Your highness, how was the birth? It was announced you were remaining in hospital overnight” “Ben does he have a name yet?” “Will the Queen meet him today?” “Any nappy changes yet Ben?”

Ben chuckles, looking to the cameras. “You’ll have to wait and see,” he says in response to his son’s name, ignoring the first very personal question. He wants a little bit more time to appreciate the secrecy surrounding their son. He grins as he looks to his wife, “I changed the first two nappies. It may have put us off having anymore.” He winks to the question asker. 

As the late afternoon turns into early evening, the sun begins to descend around the building and the shade brings a chill. The couple wave one last time and decide that it is time to head back in to put Jacen into his baby carrier, strap him into the car and head back to their home as a family of three for the first time. 

Ben hands Jacen to Rey and kisses his head and Rey’s cheek as he gets his keys and leaves to bring the car around. This time he leaves by the back of the building and down into the car park to pick up his Silencer. As he drives around to the front, he flashes his badge to security who then let him through upon realising who he is. He pulls up to the front doors of the hospital, putting the car into park and slowly getting out. Instantly aware of more cheering, he grins as he offers a wave over his shoulder as he jogs up the steps and back in through the front doors of the hospital. 

He finds Rey strapping Jacen into the baby carrier and tucking a blanket around him gently, despite the warm weather the cool evening air brings a chill. As she stands back up admiring her work, he silently walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. 

“Ready to go?” he asks as he leans his chin and presses a kiss to her tanned shoulder. 

“Mhmm,” she replies with a tired smile, “I’d like to ideally get some sleep if I can. You should probably join me, I will probably sleep better if we are all in one room. Actually did you make sure our sheets were changed?” Rey grimaced, having been in bed at the time her waters broke, it was the last thing on her mind at the time. 

“Yes, that was the first thing on my list once we made sure you were both okay. I will definitely be joining you, since someone woke me up with a slap to the cheek at stupid o’clock” he grins. Rey rolls her eyes in response, now conscious of the staff gathering to say their goodbyes, she turned away from him. 

The couple left the building for the final time with their son. As Rey got into the back of the car, Ben walked around giving the press one final look at the little prince in his going home outfit. The Duke strapped him in securely and ensured Rey was fine before shutting the door and getting into the front of the car. With one final salute like wave, they left the hospital behind them ready to start their life as a family of three. 

 

* * *

 

**Four days later - July 9th 2019**

 

 _The Duke and Duchess of Chandrila are delighted to announce that they have named their son Jacen Anakin Louis._ __  
_  
___The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince Jacen of Chandrila.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of our story is here. Thanks for those of you who take a minute to read, it means a lot to a newbie like me! Considering doing an epilogue but I'm not quite sure yet. Let me know in the comments?

**Author's Note:**

> There should be at least two more chapters after this. Maybe even three if something won't vacate my mind but we'll see!


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